


Would you like to be my rival?

by Nigg



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Related, Eros and Agape, Growing Up, Katsuki Yuuri isn't in love with Victor, M/M, Non-Canon Relationship, POV Yuri Plisetsky, Pining Yuri Plisetsky, Understanding of Feelings, Yuri Plisetsky is bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 07:32:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13631610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigg/pseuds/Nigg
Summary: The five times Yuri Plisetsky insulted Katsuki Yuuri and the one time he really really didn't.





	Would you like to be my rival?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I know that I should have posted the next chapter of "On pointed feet and broken dreams" but it's been a rough week and I needed to do something lighter and more casual so I ended up writing this here and a really short silly Klance on my Tumblr ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯   
> I hope you enjoy it all the same! It is basically canon with the only exception that Yuuri's love for Victor isn't a romantical one. I wanted to try something different and I really really love YurixYuuri fics (sorry, not sorry). The chapter is almost ready, though, so I'll update it soon!  
> If you have read my main fic, you should already know this but, just in case, I'll repeat it, I use Yuuri with two Us for Katsuki Yuuri and Yuri with just one for Plisetsky to tell them apart. The fic is a one-shot and it has nothing to do with "On pointed..."! Happy reading!

Yuri had meant to leave the rink as soon as he could but Yakov insisted that he watched the senior’s practice, since he would compete against them the following year. So here he is, sitting on a bench with his elbow on the armrest and the side of his head leaning on his hand for support, watching boring and mediocre performances. ‘Who cares about the other seniors, Victor is going to win in any case, and I can watch Victor practice any day of the week,’ he thinks, annoyed. He sees that Victor is talented, he really does, but he is going to be better as soon as they let him do quadruple jumps and then Victor will have no choice but to retire.

He is about to fall asleep on the spot when his gaze is captured by something, or rather _someone_. The man has dark hair, big brown almond-shaped eyes and is dancing on the ice like he owns it. He glides with a determination and a speed that could rival his own and a grace that is… honestly better than Victor’s. He raises his head and shifts a little on the bench to sit on its edge because wow, what’s with that footwork!

“Oi oi, Yakov!” he yells at his coach who is speaking with some sponsors about who cares what.

“What?” Yakov replies, with his usual dry voice. ‘And people wonder why I always scoff…’ thinks Yuri, suppressing a laugh. Instead, he asks:

“Who is that? The Asian one.”

“He is Katsuki Yuuri, from Japan.”

“Yuri? Like me?”

“Da.”

Yakov then turns back and resumes his previous conversation without a second glance.

Yuri blinks. Weird.

\--

The night of the seniors’ free skate Yuri has already won his gold medal and finished his obligations with the sponsors and the press. He finds himself a spot at rink-side to watch the performances. He is a little curious about his namesake who was so mesmerizing in practice because, with the lights and the costumes on, his routine must surely look even better.

He sits and waits and… he can’t believe his eyes when he sees it. The Japanese skater looks like he can’t even stand on his own two feet as he takes the ice. He starts his free skate and he starts falling in every possible step and in every possible jump. All Yuri can’t think of is “What the actual fuck?”

He leaves the rink feeling absolutely betrayed. He goes to a bathroom to wash his face to try and calm his frustration when he hears a voice from one of the stalls talking in a language he doesn’t understand but he recognizes somehow. Wait, is that Japanese? And it is broken from… crying? He has to be kidding. Who is this idiot? He knocks on the door, unable to contain his anger because how can such a good skater forget how to stand on his feet and then cry in a bathroom like he is 5 years old? He should be out there training, more determined than ever not to fail again! What he says instead is:

“Your skating sucks, why don’t you retire already? There’s no place for two Yuris in the senior division. Idiot!”

 

*

 

The night after the Grand Prix Final there is the traditional banquet, which is the worst event ever to attend to but Yuri is the junior champion, meaning it is mandatory for him to go. He suffers through some conversations with people Yakov compels him to meet and he manages to steal a glass of champagne from behind his coach’s nose despite technically he isn’t of age yet. Who cares, right?

When the obligatory meetings are over, he finds himself with Victor and Chris on one side of the room, all three of them catching their breath and trying to loosen up a little.

“Whew, avoid that man over there, the one with grey hair and mustaches. He wouldn’t let me go!!” Comments Victor, leaning on a chair.

Yuri drops on the one next to him and scoffs loudly.

“I hate this, can’t we leave, already?”

“I’m sorry, Yuri, Yakov would kill us.”

Chris chuckles beside them.

“Winning medals comes with a price, I suppose.”

Both Russians groans.

“Ehy! You!”

The three pops their heads up to where the voice came from to see a very drunk man glaring in their direction with a shaking finger pointed to someone. It’s impossible to understand which of them he is referring to since his eyes are unfocused and his hand doesn’t seem to be able to stand still. Yuri is the first to talk, probably feeling a little guilty, recognizing in him the man he has insulted in a bathroom not many hours before.

“What do you want?”

“You... ” He seems at a loss for words, probably looking for an insult but, when he talks, it is like it pains him to do so and the language isn’t English anymore. It probably is an insult, though, Yuri thinks, amused.

“Whatever that means, I don’t care,” he retorts dryly.

“If you think that you are so much better than me, why don’t we have a dance battle, right now?”

“A dance battle? Are you insane? Why would I want to do that?”

The man’s eyes turn glassy at the comment and Yuri feels a sting in his chest that makes him reconsider for who knows what reason.

“Fine, if I win, you’ll admit that you are a failure that doesn’t deserve to be a skater.”

“Okay, but if _I_ win, you’ll admit that I’m good enough to compete against you and recognize me as your rival at the same level.”

The words ‘at the same level’ resonates in Yuri’s mind. This man has years of experience in figure skating ahead of him, yet all he wants is to be regarded by him as an equal?

“Fine!” Yuri spits.

The other man waves to the DJ to draw his attention and asks him to put on a hip-hop song.

“Hip-hop, seriously?” Complains Yuri. The other smirks at him, answering with a dangerous undertone to his now confident voice:

“What, you don’t think you can handle it?”

Yuri sputters a string of Russians curses but his heart misses a beat at the sight. 

When the DJ goes along with the request, the man starts breakdancing and Yuri follows suit, not wanting to be left behind now that the gauntlet has been thrown down.

As they dance, it is pretty clear that the challenger is good. Insanely good. Yuri tries to stand up to him but soon he has to give in.

“Fine, you won, from this moment on, you are my rival, happy?”

The man grins so widely that his white teeth are blinding and Yuri has to take his eyes away.

\--

Not satisfied with winning the dance battle against Yuri, the man pole-dances with Chris and IT.IS.GROSS. Yuri’s entire face is red from the embarrassment because it's just... Ugh. Then, Yuuri walks towards him and Victor again, swaying his hips and with a fire in his eyes that makes him look like a man on a mission. Yuri thinks it is painful to watch, especially because he is now stripped to his boxers, the shirt barely buttoned up and his tie around his forehead. He swallows hard, fearing that he won’t be able to answer when the other man inevitably addresses him again. Because he is ashamed for him, obviously.

Yuuri keeps walking and when he is in front of Yuri he turns and drapes his entire body against Victor’s. Yuri is dumbfounded for a moment, the next he is fuming. He feels like his head might explode. ‘What? Where does Victor come in?’

“Take your filthy hands away from him, gross!” He yells.

 

*

 

Nationals, Europeans and World’s Championship go exactly as one would expect. Victor wins everything and the others are just BORING. Yuri kind of wishes that he could just compete against Victor already but Yakov said that he has to wait, so he suffers in silence as his senior dominates competition after competition without any valid opponent. Then, just after Worlds, Victor disappears into thin air without notice.

Arriving at their practice rink, Yuri is furious:

“Where is he??”

“Don’t you know? He went to Japan to coach another skater.”

‘Japan?’ - he thinks - “Could it be?”

“Who??” he snaps, face red with rage.

“Um, haven’t you been on Twitter today? The video is viral! Apparently, some Japanese skater replicated Victor’s Free. I watched it, he is pretty good!”

“No one cares about your opinion on a skater, _baba_!”

“Calm down, Yuri, what’s happening to you?”

Yuri doesn’t answer, takes his phone and opens the app, typing furiously just to have his suspects confirmed. He runs away from the rink and hops on the next flight to Japan.

\--

Japan is weird, he is short but people make way for him to pass nonetheless and every single pair of eyes is on him. He has yelled a couple of times asking what they were looking at but it was in Russian or in English and no one actually understood him or answered, even more so because he was so angry that it was intimidating, despite his small size.

He finally manages to find directions to the city called Hasetsu, a name that he learned from the Japanese Skater Federation’s website. He hasn’t planned this through but he hasn’t had much time, has he? Luckily, in Hasetsu people are less awkward in his presence and he even finds a man who knows where Victor is and directs him to an ice rink. Great, so the idiot is really here.

He enters the place and finds himself face to face with his arch-enemy, who is looking at Victor like he is a dream come true, which is probably exactly what he is feeling. Trying not to think much about it because for some reason it makes him uncomfortable, Yuri focuses on another thing that he has noticed about the Japanese skater: he is way fatter than the last time they met. And he would know, he saw him stripped down to his boxers and he hasn’t been able to shake that image off his mind... Because it’s disgusting, it gives him nightmares.

“Oi, pig! Not even Victor’s coaching could save your performance as fat as you are, you’d better give up and let him come back to Russia!”

 

*

 

As if things weren’t awful enough already, Victor decides to teach them both a routine and to have them compete against each other for his coaching. In Japan. Why can’t they leave and go back to Russia and never have to live in the same space as the Japanese Yuuri, again? He is just so _awful_ , walking around, always shy and tentative, always extremely respectful and kind towards everyone and with that hideously sweet smell of his that makes Yuri’s head spin. With nausea.

They practice together and Victor makes him go to temples and waterfalls and other equally stupid things. Sometimes Yuuri goes with him. Victor said that they need to learn what _love_ means to them. He really had to come up with such a sappy theme. Yuri has never experienced love or crushes or similar, he doesn’t even know what _ordinary_ love means, let alone _unconditional_ love, which is supposed to be some sort of superior feeling that you have towards someone or something else and that makes you forget about your needs and desires. As if something like that could even exist. He has always had to rely mainly on himself and he has grown to be very aware of the fact that if you don’t take care of yourself on your own, then no one will. How can you put your well-being in jeopardy like that? Do people really think that another person can be more important than them when they are in love? How can that be worth it? What can love give you that you can’t achieve more easily and better on your own?

When Victor announced the themes he had hoped to get the other one, thinking that it would be easier. Now, watching Yuuri struggle to get Victor’s approval, he is not so sure anymore. He is supposed to dance to physical love, attraction, seduction, and all that crap. Yuri knows that he is capable of doing it, he has seen him and he has seen Victor actually drooling on his dancing but now he doesn’t seem to be able to get back into that state of mind. If he can’t do this, what can Yuri hope to obtain? He wonders what is going on in Yuuri’s mind, has he ever actually felt sexual love or desire? Maybe he was feeling it in Sochi and now it has faded? He shivers unconsciously at the thought because he finds himself wondering for a moment who could have been the object of his attention at the banquet. He scolds himself immediately after. It was Victor, of course. He has proved it, hasn’t he? But Victor is here now. Is love so ephemeral that it completely vanishes in such little time? If that’s the case then there’s no point in even trying to understand it. It’s just stupid.

He has struggled with this questions for days now and as they are doing another one of those waterfall exercises, an image crosses his mind: his grandfather, he loved him. He loved Yuri more than he loved himself, he always has. A lot of things click in his mind, his grandfather was happy when he took care of Yuri when he was a child and he kept being happy with everything Yuri has done growing up. He remembers the proud look in his eyes, the pure affection that exuded by every one of his gestures when he was with him. So that is what it means to love unconditionally, to find your happiness in the happiness of someone else, like his grandfather did. He is mildly shocked by this realization. He had never really shown his grandfather how much he appreciates him. Maybe he, too, did love someone unconditionally already without realizing it. His eyes widen, his heart is racing and warmth fills his entire body. He feels like crying for the emotion is too strong to contain. His thoughts are interrupted by a concerned voice.

“Yuri!!”

He is grabbed by the wrist and forced to step away from the waterfall. He tries to protest but no words come to him.

“Yuri, are you okay?” The voice continues.

He locks eyes with the Japanese man in front of him and in his look he sees a softness that he wasn’t expecting. Worry. Yuuri is worried about him. He _cares_ for him. Yuri is already overwhelmed and this only piles up over his emotions but with an unexpected clarity he realizes that he is _happy_ about it. Seeing that look, acknowledging that Yuuri really cares for him makes him so incredibly happy.

\--

Later on the same day, Yuri has recovered from the extreme vulnerability that he felt in the waterfall but the answers he found there haven’t left his mind. He is still in utter stupor about the entire situation but he thinks he has a better understanding of his theme.

When Yuuri approaches him, he squirms, not feeling ready to confront _him_ of all people after everything he has discovered about himself.

“Are you okay? You seemed upset before, at the waterfall.” Yuuri asks, gentle.

Yuri’s breath is catching in his throat. He needs an escape. He needs to make him leave immediately. He does the only thing he is capable of doing when he feels trapped and snaps:

“What do you want from me, you nosey! No one cares about the concern of a loser like you!”

 

*

 

Of course, Yuuri discovers how to express his theme, too. He chooses his love for katsudon as his inspiration which is both ridiculous and... _cute_? Yuri shivers the second this thought crosses his mind but it’s too late. Now that the word is there, it won’t leave and Yuri hates himself for it.

It doesn’t help that watching him dance is kind of mesmerizing. It’s not the same as it was in Sochi, apparently katsudon isn’t as intense as an inspiration as the whatever it was that he was using back then, but it’s captivating nonetheless. At least, using katsudon is better than using _Victor_ , he would have hated to be in the middle if the two had started to be gross with each other. Probably for more than one reason and this is another thought that scares and horrifies him.

Victor, on the other hand, doesn’t have any problem in continuing to drool every time Yuuri goes over the routine and Yuri is starting to doubt the entire point of the competition. It’s evident that Victor is playing favorites. He decides to do his best and to consider this as some sort of training but he books a single ticket to Russia for the same night of the event because he already knows how it will go.

\--

He leaves the competition before it ends and heads to the airport. He doesn’t care. He has done his best and it hasn’t been enough. He felt tired after the first half of the routine and didn’t manage to think about the interpretation at all in the second part so it’s okay. Yuuri was amazing, he deserved to win. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t sting.

He walks towards his gate, dragging his suitcase behind him when he is interrupted by a soft voice calling his name. He turns to see his rival in the flesh.

“What do you want?” He snaps, angrily.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry things went this way. I didn’t know that Victor had already promised to coach you.”

Yuri is taken aback.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” He answers.

“It’s not your fault either, yet you are going back to Russia alone and I can’t help but feel a little guilty. Will you be fine without him?”

Yuri finds himself replying honestly.

“I will, I have Yakov and the rest of the team, don’t worry about it.” 

Yuuri smiles, relieved.

“I’m glad. Congratulations on your performance, you really did a lot of progress with the routine!”

“Thank you, you too.”

They remain in an awkward silence until Yuuri decides it is time for him to leave. He doesn’t look Yuri in the eye and his voice sounds small, almost regretful.

“I’d better go back now, I don’t want you to miss your plane.” 

“Sure, go back to your _boyfriend_.” Yuri didn’t mean to put so much spite in the word but it happened so whatever.

“He… Victor is not my boyfriend, just my coach. I…” He trails off but then continues, his voice more determined:

“I admire him and I love his skating but I don’t like him that way.”

Yuri blinks. He doesn’t? Before he realizes it, he voices the question.

“You don’t?”

Yuuri shakes his head but he is smiling and blushing, as if his words meant more than just that. What’s happening? His fight or flight reflex is striking him in full force. What can he say? Seeing that Yuuri is still waiting for a comment, an answer… something, Yuri panics. The point of his ears turn pink as he steps towards him. He kisses his cheek quickly then runs away, yelling back:

“Whatever, I don’t care. You are ugly and awful, after all, so it’s not like you had a chance with him.”

Insulting him is familiar, it’s something he can always understand and rely on when things don’t make sense. This time, though, it lacks any heat behind it and he can’t hide his grin. He is sure Yuuri noticed as well if his mirroring expression is anything to go by.

 

*

 

He watches Yuuri compete at the Cup of China on television with a strange sense of anticipation that makes his heart race. They are going to meet again soon and he has no idea about what to say to him. They have been talking through text messages, snapchat and other social media non-stop but none of them ever brought up the conversation they had at the airport and he can feel the unspoken agreement to talk about it when they meet face to face behind their silence on the matter. The Japanese skater dances on the ice hypnotically as usual and Yuri realizes that this time he is less angry about it and more open to admitting that he finds it amazing. When the routine ends and he finishes with a perfect quad toe loop, Yuri hops from his chair, cheering loudly. With the way he has improved, they are sure going to face off at the final, because obviously Yuri is going to be at the final, too, and he can’t wait. Whatever the result will be, it’s going to be a wonderful challenge.

He goes back to training smiling like a fool. It won’t be long until the Rostelecom Cup but he is ready.

\--

The day before the Rostelecom Cup, he meets Yuuri with Victor shortly at the hotel but they don’t have a chance to properly talk until the competition and then they have to focus, so they continue to postpone the conversation. They are both horribly beaten by the arrogant Canadian JJ but it doesn’t matter, he wins silver and Yuuri bronze and they are both going to the final, as expected, then it’s okay, they can think about crushing JJ later.

The best part is that his grandfather came to watch him and brought him pirozhki. Yuri excuses himself for some time to properly talk to him and, for the first time, he manages to be open and honest. He thanks him for everything that he has done in the past years and they share some tears but, in the end, they part smiling brightly. Then, Yuri goes finding his rival and friend.

While he waits for him, he gives in to the temptation and tastes one of the pirozhkis. They aren’t ordinary ones. His grandfather must have looked up the recipe to something that Yuri has talked to him about and created a new kind of filling. He can’t contain his laughter. This is going to be perfect.

The moment Yuuri arrives, they exchange a smile and Yuri offers him the pirozhki without saying a word, letting him make the discovery on his own.

“Thank you, Yuri!” The Japanese skater says after taking the bag from him. Then he tastes the food. His eyes widen, he blushes and he chuckles.

“It’s amazing, you have to tell your grandfather that I loved his version of my katsudon.”

“I will,” Yuri confirms, nodding excitedly.

He hums, taking another bite.

“For real, I think I found my new favorite food!”

“You are really a lost cause when it comes to food. It’s cute,” the Russian comments between giggles.

Yuuri’s eyes widen even more. Yuri didn’t think it was possible.

“Did you just compliment me?”

“Don’t make me repeat it.”

“I’ll make sure to mark this day every year in my calendar, though,” he replies with an equally sassy tone that makes Yuri’s heart flip.

“Fine, I’ll admit it… You are not so bad, I actually kinda like you.”

Yuuri fakes a gasp before laughing softly.

“Yeah, me too,” he admits, all the previous teasing tone fading away from his voice.

“So… Um… Would you like to… Like… Go out with me sometimes?”

Yuuri looks at him and turns serious before answering:

“I’d love to.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments or on [Tumblr](https://onpointedfeetandbrokendreams.tumblr.com/).  
> If you want and you haven't already, check my main fic [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12281511/chapters/27915408) which is a Victuuri ballet AU!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> And if you like YurixYuuri I highly recommend you to read [Wildflowers](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9178732/chapters/20833501) because it's the most beautiful fic I have ever read about the pair!! Have a good day (or night)!


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